General

Anna's Hummingbird: Medium-sized hummingbird; male has bronze-green upperparts and dull gray underparts. Hood and throat are iridescent red, but may appear black or dark purple in low light; broken white eye-ring is usually visible. Tail is dark green with black outer tail feathers. Female is duller with a green cap and sometimes shows metallic red or purple patches and spots on throat. Dark green tail is white-tipped. Subadult male resembles female but has darker throat with distinctive streaking and may show red spots on crown. Juvenile resembles female but has white throat with faint spotting.

Range and Habitat

Anna's Hummingbird: Resident from northern California southward; spends winters regularly from British Columbia south to Arizona. Preferred habitats include chaparral, brushy oak woodlands, and gardens.

Breeding and Nesting

Anna's Hummingbird: One to three white eggs are laid in a tiny woven cup of small twigs and lichens fastened onto a sheltered horizontal limb. Incubation ranges from 14 to 19 days and is carried out by the female.

Foraging and Feeding

Anna's Hummingbird: Feeds on flower nectar with long bill and tongue while hovering. Most attracted to long, tubular flowers, with red, orange, or violet hues; also uses holes in trees to extract sap and feeds on flying insects or those trapped in spider webs.

Readily Eats

Sugar Water, Commercial instant nectars

Vocalization

Anna's Hummingbird: Calls include a sharp "chip" and rapid "chee-chee-chee-chee-chee."

Similar Species

Anna's Hummingbird: Black-chinned Hummingbird is smaller with paler underparts, purple crown and throat, white eyebrow, and slightly down-curved bill. Costa’s Hummingbird is smaller with purple throat, white spot behind eye, and slightly down-curved bill.